Nursing school, 10 month old, and no support

[futurenurseShari]

I am currently in graduate school for Health Administration and I am not happy because my heart is in nursing. I worked as a CNA for a lot of years and I love it. I am considering applying to an RN program because it is the best option for me at this point being a Military spouse. With the only support for my 10 month old being daytime daycare(6a -6p). What is the advice anyone may have regarding realistic expectations of after hours mandated group study, clinicals, etc.?

I am currently considering Broward College, but may have the option to move to Orlando and attend Valencia to gain more family support. After completing my R.N. I can always pursue my Master's or N.P. online since I already have my Bachelor's. I do not want to complete a graduate degree and still be scrounging for jobs, I think I have better marketability post R.N. especially since it is what I really want to do. It is really hard breaking into entry level positions with just a Bachelor's in H.S.A. The struggle is too real.

[lehaley1989, ADN, RN]

In my program our theory classes are offered between the hours of 8-4 or 100% online. We have AM (6 AM - 3 PM) or PM (3 PM - 11PM) clinicals. Many of the students are second degree, so a lot are working through school or have kids. I have found that the AM clinical spots go the fastest and some people are forced to rearrange their work and childcare schedules when PM spots are the only ones left. So definitely keep in mind that just because your school offers a clinical that works for your schedule, it doesn't mean you're going to be able to get a spot in it. My program also required us to spend a certain amount of time in the skills lab during first semester, but the lab had flexible hours and this was pretty easy to complete during the day. We were also occasionally assigned group projects that necessitated meeting outside of class.

So long story short, I would definitely recommend touching base with your programs of interest to get a better idea of when classes and clinicals are offered. Personally, I would probably choose to move closer to family. Nursing school is intense and you're going to need people in your corner for support.

[futurenurseShari]

Thank you for responding,

Is your school in Florida as well?

I actually have a nursing info session in two days so i am excited to learn their format.

Should I purchase an NCLEX book and start familiarizing myself with the material? Until acceptance.

[lehaley1989, ADN, RN]

Nope, I'm in school in Wisconsin.

You could definitely pick up a NCLEX book and take a look, but I think it's more important to brush up on your anatomy & physiology. I used Khan Academy to review before I started nursing school.